


Haunted, Baby!

by ViridianShark (MissLovegood)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Frottage, Ghosts, Haunted Houses, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sleepy Cuddles, Spooky, Wet Dream, Wolves, clown to clown communication, friendly guard sokka (Avatar), qi bending, sorry sokka
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:54:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27789328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissLovegood/pseuds/ViridianShark
Summary: A spooky forest! A haunted house! Two grown men can surely handle it, right?Sokka and Zuko find themselves hopelessly lost in the woods. They find what they hope will be a safe place to rest and recover, but it turns out to be far more than they bargained for.NSFW after chapter 2 :)
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. Chase

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all, it's been a minute, huh? Thank you for joining me on this little spooky adventure! I'll add to the tags as I go. Nothin' too crazy, but I do like putting tags in for the nsfw stuff.
> 
> Come with me, to the woods!

Something rustles in the forest to Sokka's right. "What was that."

Zuko continues roasting the skewers of batrabbit over their campfire, but looks up at Sokka. "It's just the wind," he shrugs. They sit quietly on their log, listening. The fire crackles and hisses from the damp wood.

_There,_ another rustle, louder and closer than before. A branch snaps; a pall of dread settles in the air.

Quietly, Sokka whispers into Zuko's good ear. "No, that's _definitely_ an animal." Sokka sits up straight, eyes sharp and peering into the forest. He narrows his eyes. Zuko sees his face drop and turn ashen. Panic seeps into Zuko's bones, his heart hammers in his chest. " _What_ ," Zuko hisses, "what's out there?"

Sokka flicks his eyes to him, and back into the woods where there are several shining red eyes. " _Wolves_." His voice is soft and deep, with an edge of something dangerous.

Zuko freezes. He looks where Sokka is still staring. _One, two, three,_ **_fuck_ ** _that's too many fucking wolves_. "What do we do?" He whispers through clenched teeth.

Sokka reaches blindly towards him and catches Zuko's hand in his. Zuko's heart starts beating, somehow, even faster. "Stay still. Let's wait and see if they just go."

At his words, a low growl starts up. A cold sweat prickles down Zuko's back. He looks at Sokka, who is slowly reaching back for his boomerang. A wolf steps forward into the edge of the circle of light cast by their fire, baring his teeth. Sokka stands suddenly, straight and _tall_ and big. His hair is loose around his shoulders, wavy from the day's braids. He holds his boomerang in an offensive position high in the air. He speaks loudly to the wolf at the front, making Zuko jump about a foot off the log. "You gotta _leave_ , buddy."

Growling, the alpha wolf takes another step. The others creep along behind. 

" _No_." Louder still. Commanding, but climbing an octave.

Sokka looks at Zuko, a little panic in his eyes. He shakes his head, tilts his head in a direction. Zuko nods. He keeps an eye on Sokka, and carefully grabs their gear from around his feet. Zuko nudges Sokka's pack toward him. Zuko holds his hand out to the campfire, feeling it's warmth in his blood. He begins lowering the flames. "Now?" Zuko asks, just able to see the other man in front of him in the dark.

" _Now_!" Sokka exclaims. Zuko douses the flame entirely, and the two of them crash through the forest, the sound of wolves in hot pursuit loud behind them. Sokka is tugging Zuko along by his wrist, dodging and weaving around trees and brush at top speed. Zuko can't stop looking back. _They're gaining on us now, Agni, the wolves are **faster** than us! _ Zuko takes the deepest breath he can manage while sprinting. He focuses his qi, pulling it from his stomach and into his free arm, lighting his palm aflame. The wolves stutter in their advance, snapping and snarling at them. Sokka pulls them through the space between two huge appleberry bushes. Zuko gasps sharply, brambles and thorns catch at their exposed skin. Sokka pulls them out of the brush with a yell, and down a steep slope; they’re gaining so much speed, they’re almost out of control. The men sprint through the valley at its base, breathing heavily. Zuko is still looking back, flaming fist raised.

"I can see a clearing up ahead, c'mon!" Sokka calls back to Zuko, who sends a careful fire whip at the wolves. Not close enough to hit them, but enough to make them cower back a bit.

Focused on what's ahead of him, Sokka misses the fallen log at the edge of the clearing, and trips right over it, sending both of them hurdling over it and onto the ground with a yelp and a grunt, respectively.

"Ow! _Fuck_!" Sokka cries, clutching his ankle.

Zuko disentangles himself from Sokka and stands his ground in front of him, both fists lit. The wolves creep around in the brush to the edges of the clearing. " _Go_." He snarls, fits flaring. They hold. " _Leave_ _!"_ Zuko spits, and sparks fly from his lips, the flames in his fists licking up his arms with his rage. He sends a blast of fire towards the one that had led the chase. The wolves whimper and scatter into the woods, leaving them in sudden deafening silence.

Zuko ceases the flames and lets out a long huff of breath and slumps to the ground beside Sokka. He takes stock of himself and determines himself scuffed but otherwise fine, and turns. The moon above them is full and bright, lighting the oblong clearing they've found themselves in. It washes the color out of everything, leaving Zuko's already limited vision bleak and grey. It's disorienting, and he brings a small flame back into his palm to look at his friend.

Sokka is shaking a little, forehead pressed against his bent knee, his fingers wrapping around his rapidly swelling and red ankle. He hears Sokka sniff and he melts a little. He scooches closer and kneels next to him in the grass. "Sokka, are you alright?" 

Sokka shakes his head yes, then shrugs, then shakes his head no, breath hitching. "Been better." He says quietly.

Zuko grimaces. _At least he's still being sarcastic, I'm pretty sure if it was_ **_bad_ ** _bad he would be more serious. Maybe._ "Okay, stay here for a minute, I'm gonna look around and see if there's any shelter."

Sokka's head snaps up and he locks eyes with Zuko, who promptly freezes in place. Sokka's face is red and blotchy, cheeks streaked with shining tear tracks.

" _Please-_ ," voice small, he pleads with Zuko, "please don't leave me." His face crumbles and his voice cracks, and it absolutely breaks Zuko's heart.

"No, no, no, okay- no I won't go anywhere. Not without you." Zuko's unlit hand settles on Sokka's forearm. He gives it a soft squeeze of reassurance.

Sokka visibly relaxes, closing his eyes and rubbing at them. " _Fuck_. What a night." He groans and drags his palm down his face.

Zuko isn't sure what he should do to help. He racks his mind trying to think of things they have with them to potentially set his ankle with. He settles on just leaning against Sokka's side in a way he hopes is comforting, and looks at him with concern. They both need a minute to breathe.

Sokka lays his right cheek against his bent knee, face squished, and cracks an eye open at Zuko. "Thanks for saving me. And for not leaving." He closes his eyes again. They sit quietly for a moment. Hushed, he speaks: "Aang left me stuck in a hole once, defenseless and trapped. He didn't _mean_ to, and he came right back but…" his voice catches in his throat and he stops talking.

Zuko nods. "It still fucked you up. Yeah, I get that." He wrapped his right arm around Sokka's shoulders. "I won't leave."

Sokka sighs and sits up, looking at him and leaning into his hold on him. "I believe you." He says firmly.

"Good." Zuko gives his shoulder a soft squeeze. They sit together there in the damp grass for a long time. Long enough that the moon is no longer directly overhead.

Sokka unbends his knee and winces at the change in angle of his injured ankle. "How are we going to get out of this though? We're in the middle of the forest, it's the middle of the night, and I can't walk!" Sokka's voice climbs with each question and cracks in anxiety.

Zuko takes on a thinking position. Sokka thinks he resembles Uncle when he does that. Zuko looks at him and his good eye brightens.

"I have an idea."

"Oh yeah? I'm all ears," Sokka replies with false bravado, voice hoarse.

"Okay," Zuko stands, legs far apart and steady, "climb on my back."

Sokka blinks up at him, unimpressed. "What."

"I'll carry you! Just get on my back."

"Zuko, I'm way too heavy for you to carry, I'll just-" and he tries to get to his feet, but pales and flops back down into his butt. "Nope."

"Yeah, I know, that's why you just need to _climb on my back_." Zuko raises his eyebrow. "Do you not think I can do it?"

Sokka flushes and looks away, fidgeting with his pants cuff. "I don't know, it's not like I've thought about you picking me up or anything."

Zuko rolls his eyes and relaxes his pose. Sokka isn't a very good liar, but he can get back onto _that_ particular line of thought later. Sighing, he says, "Lean on me then, until you give up and let me carry you."

Sokka furrows his brow, but reaches a hand out to Zuko for help. "I am _not_ gonna give up, but fine." Zuko grins at him and grabs his hand, tugging the taller man to his feet. Sokka doesn't look the most steady, but puts on a brave face. Zuko comes to his side and the two of them slowly begin making their way through the clearing.

* * *

"We've been walking for for _ever_." Sokka complains, limping along by Zuko's side. To his credit, he has managed far longer on his injured ankle than Zuko had expected. When they started their trek into the woods Sokka had been hopping on his one good foot, leaning on Zuko for support. That had quickly taken too much energy to continue.

The clearing they had escaped the wolves into branched off into three separate paths. They had looked at each other, and made their way toward the center without discussion. They'd been on the path close to half an hour, the trees around them only getting larger, the forest darker. Zuko's free hand is still lit, but the eerie shadows it casts as they walk put them both on edge. The path is full of dry leaves, but is conspicuously free of fallen trees and encroaching flora.

"Someone's been - _ow_ \- someone's been keeping this - ow, _fuck_! - this, keeping this trail up." Sokka says panting, grunting in pain on every other step-drag. 

Zuko stops. Sokka jerks to a halt next to him and tries to catch his breath, looking around curiously. Zuko eases Sokka back against a tree to stretch. Bent double to touch his toes, he looks up at a flushed Sokka. "Let's stop for the night."

Sokka startles. "What, _here_? In the middle of this creepy fuckin' path?"

"Well, no,” Zuko straightens, pulling his arms over his head for another stretch, “but we did pass a rock formation a little while back that would work."

Sokka thinks on it for a moment, tapping his chin. "If we keep going we _might_ find something interesting, or worth keeping the trail up for at least. _But-_ "

" _But_ we're both exhausted, and _you've_ gotta stop walking on that ankle."

Sokka frowned at him. "That's pretty much what I was gonna say, but _also_ this path is giving me the creeps."

"You're right,” Zuko nods, “let's get moving."

Not without some effort, the men turn around and start slowly making their way toward the rock formation that was to be their bed. Sokka tries to keep from looking back.

It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a comfortable place to sleep. The rock formation they've made their bed has steep walls of rock on three sides. Sokka is sure he's slept on worse things, but that didn't mean it sucked any less. He lays on the stone a few feet away from Zuko, who is sitting up, leaning back against the outcropping.

Zuko idly plays with a small flame between his knuckles. He weaves it around his fingers, and Sokka stares from his stone resting space. Hypnotized, Sokka watches Zuko train the flame into a small shape. He tries to determine what it is from where he lay, but it's too small. He sees Zuko smile softly at it. A stiff breeze blows through the little corner of stone they reside in and Sokka shivers violently. He is not dressed for the cold. Somewhere in the chase with the wolves the sleeping mats were lost, much to their dismay. 

Zuko looks up and sees Sokka watching him, a dazed look on his face. He blushes, extinguishing the little flame. He's still smiling though.

"You look cold."

Sokka goes to deny it, but shivers again so violently that his teeth audibly clatter together. Zuko raises his eyebrow. "You gonna deny that?"

"Yeah, yeah,” he shivers, “what are we supposed to do about it though, huh?"

Sokka watches Zuko's face as it goes through a series of indiscernible expressions. It settles on something that Sokka could identify as _hope? Maybe?_

Nodding, committed to his idea, Zuko lays back with his head and shoulders resting on his pack. "C'mere. Just lay with me, I'm always pretty hot."

Sokka turns scarlet and laughs a little hysterically, and shivers again. "I- it's not that- I just-" he stutters.

Zuko turns to look him in the eyes. "Aren't you cold?"

Sokka, mouth open, just looks at him. He snaps his jaw shut, sits up, and crab walks with his bad ankle in the air until he's right next to Zuko, who laughs at the spectacle he just made of himself. "What! It was the easiest way."

"I don't doubt it, but you looked fucking _spirit_ possessed." Zuko says, still laughing quietly. Sokka is lying awkwardly next to him, still not actually touching him. "Sokka, it's okay. I'm not going to bite, if that's what you're worried about."

Sokka looks up at the sky, conflicted. "I- I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I know sometimes guys get weird about the um, the bi guy getting close or whatever."

Zuko blinks at him. "Sokka, I'm _gay._ It doesn't bother me."

Sokka sits up quickly, too quickly and his head rushes but he still gets out- "You're- what you're? But you never said! And Mai?" Sokka sputters.

Zuko looks up at him and shrugs. "It never came up. As for Mai, it's what was expected of us. I _do_ love her, but not like that. Not like I-" and he blushes and stops himself abruptly, looking back down at his own folded hands across his stomach with a scowl. "Never mind, it doesn't bother me okay? Just come here and go to sleep."

"No, no, no, buddy. Like _who_?" Sokka grins. "You also didn't tell me you had a _crush_ on someone!"

Zuko looks back at him. "Well, if you didn't know I was gay then I guess a crush on a guy might have been surprising, huh?" Zuko deflects, not actually answering any questions.

"Well, yeah. I guess." Sokka eyes him. "But who is it? Someone I know? Someone from the palace? Ooh, a guard?"

"Not a guard." Zuko squirms. "He uh, he's someone you know. Yeah." Zuko looks up at him, and back to his hands quickly.

Sokka eyebrows shoot to his hairline. "Oh ho ho! A friend then." Zuko can practically _see_ the stupid hat and monocle his friend wears to solve mysteries, as the gears turn in his head. "The possibilities… are still pretty wide here."

"Yup, now would you please just come down here? And go to sleep?" Zuko pleads, attempting to stem Sokka's curious questions. He pats his chest in clear invitation.

"I- You- okay. Yes. I can do that." A little awkwardly, Sokka inches the small amount over to his friend, and lays his head on his chest. He can hear Zuko's heart beating a fast tattoo against his ear. Out of Zuko's eyesight, he frowns. _I wonder who it is he's got a crush on that makes his heart beat this fast. Unfair, he makes me lay on him and I can't even kiss him. Spirits, I wish-_ Sokka shakes his head a little. _No, just be happy with friendship. This is good. This is_ **_really_ ** _nice._ Sokka is still somehow barely touching Zuko, out of respect and awkwardness, even with his whole face pressed against Zuko's chest.

Zuko looks down at Sokka with so much fondness in his eyes. He's still blushing, but it can't be helped. The object of his _years-long_ crush is _literally_ laying on his chest, no doubt listening to his heartbeat. He can feel it pick up, and is mortified at the thought of what Sokka must think. _Am I too obvious? Will he be weirded out? He told me he's bi but like, that doesn't mean he's into me. Agni, but I want him to be mine._ Sokka shivers again. Zuko frowns.

"You're still cold?" He asks quietly. "You can…" he pauses, thinking. "We can, um, cuddle? You’d be much warmer with me wrapped around you, right?"

Sokka props himself up on his elbow to look at him, and their faces are _so_ close. "That would be alright?" He asks tentatively.

"Yes, definitely. Come here." And Zuko opens his arms. Sokka wiggles his way up and into them, wrapping his own dark arm around Zuko's stomach. He immediately relaxes, eyes closing, and lets out an involuntary moan at Zuko's warmth. His eyes shoot back open, embarrassed.

"I uh-" he starts, high pitched and anxious, but is cut off by Zuko's hand gently carding through his hair.

Quietly, Zuko asks, "This okay?"

"Yeah!" His voice is high, and he tries again. Sokka swallows and nods. "Yeah, yeah it's really nice."

"Go to sleep, Sokka."

Sokka does his best to relax into Zuko’s body. He closes his eyes and just lets himself feel, drifting off.


	2. Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka and Zuko continue on the creepy path, and may or may not be Secretly Very Attracted to each other. They pine, unaware.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut ahead, y'all.  
> (灬º‿º灬)♡

At some point in the night Sokka had rolled off of Zuko to prop his aching foot up on his bag. A slow rhythmic movement gently pulls Sokka from sleep. Eyes still closed, he stretches a little, noting his usual morning half chub with little concern.  


Sokka's back is a bit sore, and his foot is killing him, but he’s otherwise okay. A heavy, yet comforting, weight is settled across half of his body. He basks in the warmth of the sun on his face, and the man on top of him. Drowsily, Sokka cracks his eyes open. His vision is filled mostly with Zuko's head and dark, silky hair. It smells sweet, and smoky from the campfire. Zuko is still fast asleep, curled around Sokka with his head on his chest. Evidently, at some point in the night Zuko had moved to wrap around Sokka for warmth, arm limp and heavy across Sokka's stomach. Zuko's leg is pulled up and over one of his. _It’s nice. So warm._ _Wish I could just fall asleep again. No fuckin way, though._ He squints. The sun is shining down in his eyes, and his overeager morning wood throbs in time with his heartbeat. Sokka tries to ignore it. _Still, I can lay here. Don’t want to wake Zuko, after all.  
_

Sokka tilts his head to see past Zuko to look at his poor foot.  _ Musta kicked my shoe off in my sleep, ugh. Looks fuckin’ rough. _ His bare foot is fat, and has angry purple, red and black bruises up his ankle and along the edge of his foot. Sokka winces at the sight. It's definitely worse than they had thought.

Zuko snuffles in his sleep and presses closer, straightening the leg that’s not wrapped around Sokka. He rolls and scooches a little to rest his stomach on Sokka, essentially laying almost completely across him. Sokka's breathing and heart rate pick up.  _ Is he…? Is that what woke me up?  _ He could feel the early morning arousal prickling around his gut  _ before _ Zuko had gone and pressed himself fully against him. Now? It was all he could do not to squirm Zuko awake. He focuses on his breathing the way Zuko had taught him.  _ In, two, three, four. Hold, six seven, eight. Out, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen. _ Again, and again until he feels like he has a grip on himself.

_ Un _ fortunately for Sokka, Zuko’s sleeping form has other ideas. Sokka has been breathing steadily for long enough that the sun is out of his eyes and onto Zuko's shoulders. His rhythmic breathing didn’t  _ wake _ Zuko, per se, but it did awaken something  _ in _ him.

Zuko's hips move minutely to the time of Sokka's steady breathing, shivery and rhythmic. Sokka can feel his cheeks warming. Zuko is slowly -so,  _ so _ slowly- frotting against him in his sleep. Sokka's breathing picks up again, and so do Zuko's tiny thrusts. Sokka's mouth opens as he looks down at Zuko splayed across him, and  _ Spirits be damned, I’m so horny. Fuck! _ He can feel himself getting harder, cock pushing up against his soft pants, just barely touching Zuko. Sokka's thighs tense and he pushes up just a little bit into the crotch of his pants, not quite enough friction to be anything but teasing. He can  _ feel _ Zuko twitch against his hip, cock hot, and  _ hard _ , and insistent with need.

Zuko makes a soft sound and nuzzles his face into Sokka's chest. He hums contentedly, and Sokka looks at him with such softness in his eyes. He barely resists the urge to play with Zuko's hair, freezing with his hand in the air. He gently wraps his arm around Zuko's shoulder instead, doing his best not to wake him. Zuko's body is throwing off heat like a bonfire, the arm he has slung over Sokka's bare stomach slick with sweat between them. Zuko tightens his half-embrace, still pressing against Sokka's hip in time with his breathing. Sokka can't help but tense  _ his _ thighs in time with Zuko, bringing the whole thing full circle. It wasn't enough, but it was  _ something _ .

"Hmmmsah…  _ hah _ ," Zuko whimpers -fucking  _ whimpers- _ against his chest. Sokka's hip twitch up in response; Zuko thrusts sharply, then slowly grinds into him, his breathing damp and hot on his chest. Sokka swallows.  _ This is wrong, I shouldn’t be getting off to this. But I -fuuuuck - _ his thoughts were disrupted by Zuko shifting his leg, rubbing with it’s full weight over his untouched erection.

“ _ Aah _ ! Fuck-” he moans involuntarily, then clamps a hand over his mouth, hips bucking up into Zuko's solid heat.

For all that this is inappropriate, and  _ shameful _ , and wrong, Sokka absolutely cannot bring himself to stop from pressing up against Zuko's thigh. He squeezes his eyes shut tight, hand clamped over his mouth. He breathes hard through his nose, trying to slow his hammering heart and lungs. Zuko, on the other hand, is no longer moving. He is almost completely still, clutching Sokka's sleep-rucked tunic in his right hand. Zuko's breathing is still fast, and Sokka  _ swears _ he feels his dick throb against him.

Sokka pushes the hand over his mouth to his hairline, pushing back his loose and sweaty hair. His eyes are still shut, and he holds as still as he can manage. He feels his cock twitch under Zuko, unbidden.

Zuko pulls his arm from Sokka's belly, sticky with sweat. The shock of cold air on his skin forces his eyes open.  _ Should I take my arm off of his shoulder?  _ Sokka doesn't get a chance to decide, because Zuko rolls off him then, and onto his back. His eyes are still shut, mouth locked in a grimace of mortification. Sokka takes a moment to just look at him. Zuko's hands are clenched into fists, and he is tense all over, but he was still definitely,  _ visually _ , rock hard. Sokka licks his lips, unable to tear his eyes away.

Zuko lays there on his back, boner where anyone can see, stricken. He takes a deep breath in, and rolls over to curl in on himself. Embarrassment paints his cheeks and good ear bright red, and he curls tighter, knees pressing against his forehead.

In an attempt to give Zuko a little privacy, Sokka sits up and turns out towards the trail. He takes the moment to look at this injured ankle, resolutely ignoring the throb of his cock.

They sit in silence. 

Sokka turns to look at Zuko, his tall lean body still curled into a tight ball. Zuko is clearly mortified, still facing away from Sokka. This wasn't even the first time they'd woken up hard in front of one another before, but it had been years since the last time! A boner from a sleeping bag on the ground next to him was  _ nothing _ like waking up with Zuko plastered to his side.

He chances another look over at his friend, who has evidently decided to pretend to be asleep. He's breathing deeply, in a solid repeating pattern that's just too consistent to really be sleep. Sokka reaches a hand out to- he doesn't even know what. He withdraws at the last second, rationalizing to himself,  _ if he wanted you he would have stayed. Respect that, asshole. _ He instead sits where he is, and inspects his injury.

Sokka scowls at his ankle. He purposefully did  _ not _ take his shoe off before falling asleep, because he knew he'd never be able to get it back on.  _ Sleepy Sokka apparently does Lots of things without permission, huh? That bastard. _ He huffs in annoyance. Sokka prods at his bruised and turgid ankle, hissing a little at the sharp pain it brought.

“Sokka?"

Zuko had rolled over when he wasn't looking; he was still curled in on himself, but facing Sokka now. "How's it look?" His face is a soft pink.

"Fat and painful." He pokes at it again and winces. "As expected. Did I take my shoe off?"

Zuko narrows his eyes, looking to the left as though trying to remember. "Yeah, a few hours in you started whining and threw it somewhere."

"Fuck, alright." He sits there staring out into the forest beyond their little hiding spot. "Shit."

"Looks like," Zuko sits up, a smirk on his lips, "you're gonna need to climb on my back."

Sokka groans. "Alright, alright. Breakfast first, and then back to the hopefully-less-creepy path." He begins rummaging through his pack for their food."

"Do you want me to find your shoe?"

Sokka looks up from his bag and smiles. "Sure! I can't, uh, get it back on right now. But I'm sure I'll need it later, yeah."

Zuko, having since calmed himself the fuck down, has no problem standing up to find his shoe. The stone bed that he had slept on, compounded with the fact that he had become  _ Sokka's _ bed for a while, has left him achy and in need of a good stretch. He closes his eyes and begins, bending over double to grab at each of his ankles in turn. He can feel Sokka's gaze, but Zuko keeps his eyes closed and continues. When he opens his eyes again Sokka is still sitting on the ground with his hands in his bag. He is staring up at Zuko, cheeks a little warm. Sokka reddens further at being caught staring, and doubles down in his search for breakfast.

_ " _ We never got to eat those meat skewers, huh?" Sokka bemoaned, wiping away a fake tear from his eye. "I'm fuckin'  _ starving." _

"Nope. I was holding on to them for a while, don't even know when I dropped them." Zuko says, and finishes his stretch. He searches around the edges of their little stone campsite for Sokka's lost shoe.  
  


* * *

"Thank you rock, you made an alright bed." Sokka says, shoving the last of his gear back into his pack.

Zuko stands near the edge of the outcropping, staring into the forest. It's about mid morning, by Zuko's measure; Angi is still low behind the trees. His bag is in his hand, and his expression is far off. He hears Sokka struggling to stand with his things and turns to help. Sokka is standing with his bag on his back, injured foot off the ground. He's leaning, ever so casually, against the rock wall of their camp. If it weren't for his bruised and naked foot, he would look natural. Zuko stands a few feet from him.

"Think you can hop again?"

Sokka's face goes through a series of expressions, landing on one of determination. "Willing to try, buddy."

Zuko nods his head and comes around to wrap an arm under Sokka's, and they begin their trek through the forest. It's slow going, and despite the bright light of Agni above, the path is still decidedly creepy.  _ Who even knows how long this thing is. Hope it's worth it, following this thing,  _ Sokka thinks. Walking doesn't hurt as much this morning, because he's pressed up against Zuko's whole right side with his left, bad foot in the air between them. They've perfected their three-legged walk since the night before, but it's still taxing.

Of all the injuries Sokka could have obtained, he is the most annoyed with this one. It's his bad leg, for starters, _and_ it was his fault for tripping over the log. Or so he thought, at least. _I should be the one protecting Zuko,_ ** _he_** _hasn't had to protect anyone in ages._ _I'm supposed to be guarding_ ** _him_** _, damnit._ Though he keeps his weight off of it, the wound still jolts with pain at every heavy step.

They've been hiking for hours, and Sokka's face is dripping with sweat. His hair sticks to the sides of his face where it hangs loose.  _ Musta left the ties back at the first camp when the wolves came. _ He sighs. Sokka knows that his hair is puffy, he can  _ feel _ it. The forest they're trekking through is humid and dense, it's a wonder they haven't found themselves by any small bodies of water by now.  _ Fuck, but I'm sweaty. Urgh, head to fuckin' toe sweaty.  _ He grimaces to himself when he realizes how much more sweat is coming off of his arm and onto Zuko. He turns to apologize, but Zuko's already looking at him; Sokka's mouth is just open, he completely forgets to speak. Sokka notes that though his unmarred cheek is a pretty-  _ pretty? Um-  _ shade of pink, he isn't sweating at all. Zuko looks quickly ahead, clearing his throat.

"How is y-"

"I'm sorry I-"

Then, simultaneously, "What?"

"I'm sorry I'm so sweaty, man. How are you not hot right now?"

Zuko turns back and raises his eyebrow at him.

"Oh. Okay, fair alright." Sokka concedes the silent " _ Firebender", " _ Still, it's not fair that  _ I'm _ a sweaty bitch and you're- you're- you're perfect!" Sokka flounders, and Zuko chuckles quietly.

"I'm far from perfect, Sokka. "I'm just not hot."

Sokka turns back to him with a smile, "Now that's just not true." Then his brain catches up with his mouth. "Uh, I- what I  _ meant  _ was _ - _ you- I- Like when you warmed me up last night," he stutters out.

A fresh wave of embarrassment bursts through the dam of memories in his mind, and he feels his cheeks heat. Zuko is silent next to him, face dead ahead, cheek and good ear going positively scarlet.

"Um." Sokka says, after a moment.

Zuko cuts him off. "Can we… can we not talk about this morning?" He quietly croaks out. "Please?"

"Oh, um sure, no problem buddy, sure sure sure, that's just fine." Sokka says quickly, looking ahead again.

The friends awkwardly walk along, shuffling along a sudden curve in the path. They haven't passed a single branch in this since the valley they ended up in after the chase.  _ That's kinda weird, right? I dunno, maybe the other paths were branchier,  _ Sokka thought,  _ I've never been to this part of the Earth Kingdom before _ . He ponders this for a while, before remembering that he had technically interrupted Zuko.

"So, what were you gonna say? Back there?"

"Oh, right. How are you feeling? How's your foot?"

"Oh, uh, hang on."

They stop for a moment, turning to face one another so Sokka can put his hands on Zuko's shoulders for balance. Zuko's hands twitch with the desire to reach up and rest his hands on top of his.

"If I'm being honest, it's been, mmmmm,  _ difficult _ I guess you could say? For a while now?"

"Do you want to stop? Maybe rest and have a snack?"

Sokka beams at him.

"Oh, baby- you had me at snacks!"

Zuko is stunned for a moment as Sokka pulls back and sits where he stands, already pulling blubbered seal jerky from his pack, licking his lips in anticipation. Zuko blinks a couple of times, and sits down in front of Sokka. He offers him a piece of jerky, and Zuko accepts. He rips off a piece and nibbles at it; Sokka's smiles at him, ripping off a large chunk of it with his teeth. Zuko laughs and takes a larger piece, struggling a little to tear it. Sokka just giggles at him, leaning forward to put his hand on Zuko's knee.

"You big goof. You know I don't care if you take tiny turtleduck bites." He smiles fondly at him, and takes another big bite. 

"I know." Zuko blushes, a small smile on his lips as he continues with his nibbles. 

They sit in companionable silence for quite some time, neither willing to disturb the peace of the afternoon. The sun shines overhead through the green leaves of the trees, dappling the pair in sweet sunlight. Zuko pulls out a spicy sweet from his pack to share, laughing at Sokka's predictable reaction.

"They're not even that spicy… baby." Zuko says, anxious at the use of the pet name, but too curious to not try.

Sokka turns a little pink and laughs, but doesn't respond, dropping a few more spark berries into his mouth. "Hhhhaaa, sure not spicy at all." He smiles, eyes watering. Sokka swallows, and takes a huge gulp of water from his skien. "They're really good though, just like… painfully bright."

Zuko tries not to be disappointed.  _ Did he call me baby on, like, instinct? Does he call the others baby too? I'm overthinking this.  _ He breathes out slowly, plucking berries from the vine.

"Whatever you say." Zuko replies, eating a few spark berries himself, enjoying the sharp, sweet taste. The more you eat the hotter they taste, but it's a pleasant burn for Zuko, a burn that sits in the back of his throat, his stomach, and warms him.

"Did you just find these?" Sokka asks through a mouthful.

"No, they were around our campsite, I picked them while looking for your shoe." He pauses. Sokka nods at him. "They grow in some of the courtyards in the Fire Palace. I've eaten them since I was a toddler."

"Some toddler, huh?"

Zuko laughs. "I was a dumb kid, I would have eaten any weird fruit you told me to. No one ever told me  _ not _ to, until Azula came along. Then we weren't  _ allowed _ to eat the courtyard fruits." He scowls. "I don't even know why, remind me about that when we get back."

Sokka pats his knee twice. "You got it, buddy.

* * *

"It's not  _ worth _ it to turn around, Zuko!" 

Zuko looks affronted. " _ I  _ think it is. We've been walking this path for fucking  _ ever _ , and we haven't found anything interesting. Nothing for the journals, all just the same Earth Kingdom jungle plants and animals."

"You _like_ the animals," Sokka scoffs at him, "and! Like I said, that's _exactly_ _why_ we should keep going on this path."

"What? Why!" Zuko throws his hands up. They're sitting on two twin stones on either side of the path.

"We've already walked almost a whole day on this stupid path, which is  _ why _ we shouldn't use  _ another _ whole day just to start over." He holds up a finger when Zuko opens his mouth to interject. "There's gotta be something at the end of this groomed fucking path, okay? There  _ has  _ to be a reason for it."

"Sokka! You have to-"

"No, Zuko! We're not in the palace, and we're doing this my way!" Sokka stands up to limp forward on the path a few steps, stopping with a grimace. "Fuck!" He shouts, rubbing his hands down his face. Sokka sits on the ground, about 8 feet away from Zuko, and groans the whole way down.

Zuko stews in his irritation. He mutters, mostly to himself, " _ Not in the palace _ , the fuck's  _ that _ supposed to mean? What, does he not tell me what he really thinks when we're in the Fire Nation?" Zuko laughs.  _ Idiot tells me anything he wants, just because we usually do what I say shouldn't mean anything. Right? _

Sokka makes a sound of annoyance and tilts his head back. He takes a few deep breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth, until his body is less tense. Zuko is still infuriated. _Leave it Sokka to make_ ** _right now_** _the perfect time to be a stubborn asshole. If we turn back we can at least try a different path, or try and find our fucking camp from the other day. Find our sleeping mats! There's so many good fucking reasons just turn around now while it's still fucking light out, but Sokka just wont_ ** _listen._** Zuko is still glaring at Sokka, but softens a little when it occurs to him; _Agni, he's still doing the breathing I showed him._ His head is still tipped back, but Zuko doesn't think it looks too uncomfortable.

"Sokka," he says, much softer this time.

"What." Sokka snaps back, not turning to look at him.

Zuko fidgets with the hem of his tunic, "I still don't think this a good idea," Sokka grumbles at him, but Zuko continues, "but fine. Let's just keep going."

" _ Thank _ you."

Sokka struggles to stand, but manages it without help. Zuko walks to him, ready to start their three-legged walk again, but Sokka stands to the side, awkward and a little shy.

"Sokka?"

Sokka's mouth twists and he sighs. Sokka says something softly, much too quiet for Zuko's shitty hearing.

"What?"

Sokka shoots him a glare, and huffs again. "Please will you carry me on your back?" Zuko's eyes light up in amusement. Sokka grumbles, "just for a little while, okay? Both my legs hurt."

Zuko nods at him. "Yeah, sure, hop on." He turns around, but realizes that he's still wearing his pack. "Oh. Hang on." He pulls off his pack and stares at it. "What do we do with them?"

"If I wear my pack with too much shit in it, I'll knock us both down. All of the weight will be on you, either way, so maybe we should ditch some." Sokka ponders.

"Okay, sure. Just like… toss the stuff though?"

"I mean, we can hide some stuff around here, yeah? Nonessentials, if we  _ need _ them we know where they are."

Zuko nods in agreement. "I'm sure we have doubles of some stuff."

Zuko helps Sokka back to his rock, and the pair dig around through their bags for things to ditch. They both have a lot of opinions on what's  _ essential _ , but agree that having only one of each of the necessary survival tools will be enough, so long as they stick together.

Sokka scoffs. "Of course we'll be together, dumbass." He gives Zuko a goofy smile. "Plus, who needs spark rocks, when I have the whole real SparkyLord himself right here in front of me?" Sokka drops his to the ground in between them, beginning the pile.  
  


Somewhere roughly in the middle of a  _ very _ tall tree, almost all the way to the edge of a branch sits Zuko, carefully tying his pack to another branch above. He slinks back down the tree, swinging from branch to branch in a way that would make Jet proud. Zuko hops down from a branch five feet from the ground, rolling on the way down- mostly out of habit. He stands up tall and grins at Sokka. Sokka has a vague, furrowed look on his face; he snaps out of it when Zuko steps near him, and smiles up at him.

"You good to go?"

"Yup, climb on."

Zuko turns his back to Sokka, holding the position. Sokka stands and tries to jump on Zuko’s back the way he’s seen Aang do it, but doesn’t quite make it. He steadies himself, and tries again.

“Shit, hang on.” He tries once more, but lands poorly on his injured foot. “Ow, oh fuck fuck shit, Zuko ow!”

Zuko whips back around to Sokka. He’s sitting on the ground, holding his injured foot again. Sokka isn’t crying, but his nose and cheeks are a little red. Zuko sits on the ground in front of him.

Zuko pulls his hair back and out of his face. “Can I try something?” He asks.

“Huh?”

“Uncle told me a long time ago that sometimes intense pain can be eased by smoothing your qi. Can I… try?”

“Smoothing?” Sokka looks skeptical. “What does that even mean?”

Zuko sighs. “I can’t really explain it, but you can ask Uncle about it when we get back.”

“Have you don’t this before? Messing with people’s qi?”

“Well, sort of.”

Sokka waits, putting out a hand for more information.

“So, I’ve done it to myself. After… after being banished I was in a lot of pain on the ship. My crew was a little rag tag at best, but they were at least loyal. The medic was kind to me, but not very good at his job. I got an infection a week out that almost killed me.” Zuko finishes quietly. He’s never told anyone about the immediate aftermath of his banishment.

Sokka looks heart-struck, face a little pallid. “ _ Tui _ , Zuko I didn’t know that.”

“I know.”

“Well, what happened? Obviously you’re okay now, but fuck!”

Zuko looks to the right at that, eyebrows raised. " _ Okay now" would imply that I fully healed, and we both know I did  _ **_not._ ** He shakes his head and continues.

“I don’t remember a lot of it, and some I’m pretty sure are actually just parts of the fever dreams. What I do remember is Uncle by my side every time I was lucid enough to remember.” Zuko grimaces. “Something happened to the medic while I was out, he was gone when I woke up.”

Sokka whistles low, full attention on Zuko.

“I’m pretty sure… If Uncle hadn’t come with me in my search, I think I would have died at sea.” He looks down at their ankles. He whispers, almost too low for Sokka to hear, “I think my father wanted me to die at sea.”

Sokka leans forward and wraps his arms around Zuko, who starts a little. He bonks his forehead against Zuko’s shoulder. “Your dad’s an  _ asshole _ and if I could have beaten him up when we were kids, I would have kicked his ass.”

Zuko relaxes his shoulders and leans forward to wrap his arms tentatively around Sokka’s shoulders.  


“I know,” he says softly, “Thank you.”

They sit, knees pressed together in an embrace for a long time. It’s comfortable, easy. It doesn’t feel strange for them to just sit with one another, touching in so many places. It feels natural, like they always sat on the ground with their arms around each other, heads bent into each other’s shoulders and necks. Like this isn’t the first time they’ve done this, even though it definitely is.

Zuko breaks the silence after a few moments.

“I learned how to harness my qi to my advantage that year. I plucked at my tangled qi in some desperate attempt at making my face stop hurting, always behind closed doors.” A pause. “It didn’t always work, but I never let my crew know. I had to be  _ strong _ for them, some 13 year old disfigured freak, in charge of a tiny antique ship.” He scowls at the ground.

“I don’t think you’re disfigured.” Sokka whispers. “You’re beautiful.”

Zuko is silent for a long moment. “I’m not.”

Sokka pulls back to look at Zuko, still holding his shoulders. “I mean it. I don’t see past your scar, or try to imagine you without it, because it’s part of you. And I-” Sokka swallows, “I think you’re beautiful, as is. No conditions.”

“ _ So _ kka,” Zuko says, still looking at the ground, eyes prickling.

Sokka smiles at him, shrugging his shoulders. “I’m telling the truth here, don’t try and deny it.”

Zuko nods, sliding his hands out from around Sokka’s back, to rest on his knees instead. Sokka squeezes his shoulders, and follows suit. It feels a little strange, holding each other’s knees, but it doesn’t feel bad either. Just, comfortable.

“So,” Zuko sniffs conspicuously, and turns away for a moment. “Qi. I think I can fuck with yours a little and maybe make it hurt a bit less. You in?”

Sokka grins. “Hell yeah, I’m in!” He giggles, “I’m sure you can… chee-er me right up!”

Zuko groans, and Sokka laughs heartily. It’s warm, and loud and Zuko finds himself basking in his joy, despite the terrible wordplay. Sokka wipes a fake tear from his eye, and says in a high voice, “Oh, I crack me up.”

“Yeah, yeah wise guy. Shut up, sit still, and let me try this.” Zuko is grinning at him, but Sokka still immediately straightens, silent and trusting.

Zuko gently wraps his right hand around Sokka’s abused ankle, absently rubbing his thumb against his ankle bone. He concentrates on Sokka's bunched up qi, carefully pulling here and there.

"You need to relax, Sokka." He mumbles, smoothing his other hand up Sokka's calf.

"Right, right, sorry."

Sokka consciously relaxes his legs, but keeps his hands in tight fists.  _ If I can keep the tension out of the places Zuko's working, it should be okay, right? No need to  _ **_completely_ ** _ lower my guard. _ Zuko looks up at him, seeing his clenched fists, and sighs.

"Sokka, please. It's okay, it's just me."

Sokka nods vigorously, and closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath in, and lets all of the rigidity in his body release on his exhale. Zuko frowns. There's still too much tension in his frame, but it's apparently all Sokka can do.

He hums quietly as he works, gently plucking at the tangles in Sokka's qi, moving up from his ankle to the place in his leg that was injured during the final battle. At his touch, Sokka tenses and gasps a little, but grits his teeth and tries to relax again. He's sweating, and starting to look a little ill.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I understand." Zuko replies quietly.

So gently he's barely even touching him, Zuko untangles the last knot in the old wound. Sokka lets out an involuntary whimper at change in pressure, and goes completely boneless at the relief it brings. He slumps back to lay flat on the path with his legs still crossed.

"That's enough for now, I think." Zuko pulls back, alarmed at Sokka's sudden change. He worries at his cuff a little. "Did I um- Was that alright? I've never- you're the first person I've tried that on who wasn't, er, myself."

Sokka cracks an eye open at him, and lifts his head to peer at his bad leg and bruised ankle. "I think so? I'm just, like, suddenly totally drained." He hesitates, putting his head back down and closes his eyes again. "I'm not sure I can keep going today." Sokka says quietly to the trees above.

"O-oh, alright. We can stay here for a while." Zuko looks around at the path where they're sat, trying to figure out where they're going to sleep for the night.

"I think I need a nap." Sokka yawns, and stretches his legs out carefully to bracket Zuko. "Thank you for trying. I think it helped?" He said, folding his arms behind his head as a makeshift pillow.

"No problem. Is it-" he stops and looks at Sokka, sprawled out in front of him. "I'm going to scout for an actual place to spend tonight, you stay here and rest."

Sokka yawns again, unable to keep his eyes open. "Mm, okay. Don't go too far."

Zuko nods, though Sokka can't see it. "Right. Be back soon."

Sokka sleepily nods back, settling in for a good nap. "Have fun."

Zuko's expression cracks, and he looks at Sokka softly. "I'll try." He looks at him for a few moments too long, and sets out further up the path to scout out a good campsite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Truly, I don't know how many chapters this thing will be. At least 3? Probably 4? I just don't know. They haven't even gotten to the spooky yet so like ... Who knows  
> (◍•ᴗ•◍)✧*。

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 2 will be up soon, I've already got it a third of the way done. :>


End file.
